The Allure of Ophelia

From my first meeting with Ophelia in 2009 at the Tate Britain, I was inspired by her fragile, innocent beauty. There are so many reasons why my eyes are generally drawn to painting more so than photography, especially lifelike realist works of the Renaissance and Pre-Raphaelite era.

The industry is saturated by thousands of fashion images; a medium so much more accessible than it ever had been in the past. I feel there is something special inside a painting which is tends to be harder to achieve in photography without looking too constrained and false.

In this industry there is also such pressure to produce images quickly that the value of imagery can be lost- I feel that my positive relationship with painting allows me appreciate the importance of photography; that every conceptual image should be a powerful refection on my vision of the world. 

There are so many ways to deconstruct a painting; being a constructed concoction of truth, mystery and fantasy. Not quite as real as a photograph yet often with strong refections of reality. I feel that fashion photography contains a similar element of this, most specifically highlighted by the fundamentals of retouching and post production.

A new exhibition is to open at the Tate Britain called 'Pre Raphaelites, Victorian Avant Garde'. I am very much looking forward to this show and will be sure to write a follow up blog post after my visit! 

I believe that one must learn to deconstruct imagery/art in order to learn to construct. The photographs below are part of the editorial series shot at the V&A museum in 2009- although I only had two days to plan this shoot, at the time I was completing my final year project inspired by Renaissance Art. This has conditioned me to always keep my eyes open for inspiration, even if it may not be relevant to that exact moment in time- the chances are that it will be useful in the future.

 © Alice Luker

'Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful' - William Morris.